When you get your electricity bill, there’s a good chance you look at the total cost before anything else. Your electricity is billed by the kilowatt hour (kWh), but what does that even mean, and how is it different from a kilowatt (kW)? Let’s break it down. A kilowatt is a unit (equal to 1000 [...]
How does temperature affect solar panels? Solar panels absorb energy from the sun’s light, not from its heat. This means that even in cold temperatures, your solar panels will generate electricity as long as sunlight is hitting them. In fact, your photovoltaic panels will run more efficiently on a cold, clear day than in hotter [...]
Colorado and the federal government give you a lot of incentives to go solar - not only will you not have to pay any sales tax on your new system, you’ll also get paid by the U.S. government to build a solar system. Plus you gain the added advantage of banking any extra solar energy [...]
You’ll be happy to find out that a solar installation has a surprisingly long lifespan! Most solar panels will last an average of 25 to 40 years. Which is why most solar companies offer a 25-year production warranty. While you probably won’t need to replace your solar system for another 40 years from installation, the [...]
Determining how many solar panels you’ll need for your home means first knowing what your goals are. There is a lot more than just the size of your house or building that needs to be considered when determining the number of panels you will need. To calculate how many solar panels you need, follow these [...]
How much do you know about solar energy? You’ve probably heard things like it can help you save on your electric bill or eventually eliminate it completely. While these statements are TRUE, the positive environmental impacts of solar energy are very important and worth understanding, too. Top 4 Environmental Benefits of Going Solar No pollution. [...]
What Is Net Metering? If you’re new to the solar world, you may have heard the words "net metering" thrown around and wondered what this term means. Net Metering is a system in which solar panels (or other renewable energy generators) are installed at a home or business, and then connected to a public-utility power [...]
When you get your electricity bill, the chances are high that you look at the total cost first. Most likely, you stop at that and don’t bother examining the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) you’ve consumed. Maybe you don’t even know what those numbers mean and what’s the difference between a kW and a kWh. Well, [...]
Everybody knows that if you live in Colorado you’re going to endure a few hail storms each year. At ARE, the solar panels we provide are manufacturer-tested to ensure that they are capable of withstanding Colorado hail storms. In most cases, solar panels are tested and certified to withstand hail of up to 25 mm [...]
Solar panels don’t work when it’s cloudy - Solar panels will very rarely stop generating during cloudy weather and the reason is quite simple - clouds don’t completely block sunlight. The amount of solar energy generated during cloudy weather is reduced due to solar radiation being absorbed or reflected by the clouds. How much radiation [...]
